Most people I know talk about the need to work hard to be successful and earn a good reputation. Yes, I said “earn a good reputation.” That is what you hope to achieve if you put in the hard work.
But some people, not just the 20 somethings, have unrealistic expectations, which at times results in cutting corners and avoiding the hard work part. I just read about a San Diego law firm being sued by Yelp because it allegedly had its employees paste fake reviews on Yelp because the posting of fake reviews violates the website’s terms of service contract (you know, the long thing you don’t read and just click the “Accept” button blindly). In addition to pointing out that it is easy to trace IP addresses and having employees post fake reviews from your office is bad form, that firm was forgetting the part where you have to work hard and provide good service to customers to earn praise.
If you work hard and provide a good service experience you will build your reputation. This in turn may lead to many positive results including positive online reviews, peer recognition and a good reputation, which will lead to what individuals and business seek: more work, customers, income, etc.
This leads to an old saying that is true: you need to take the time to invest in yourself. If you do, success is not guaranteed, but if it does come it will be earned and that much sweeter.